Abby Geisthardt, Eva Anderson and Lillie Reimer are more than happy to give you a book recommendation.

The three girls are part of the teen advisory board at Veterans Memorial Library.

They work to plan teen-oriented events and give their say in what books the library should offer for check out.

“We work a lot on having good teen programming,” said Anderson, a junior at Mt. Pleasant High School.

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The group puts together library displays, works on special events and hosts “Teen Tuesday” on the second Tuesday of every month.

Teen Services Librarian Tinna Mills said that while the board has been around for at least a decade, it’s grown from last summer.

Last summer, the board had seven members. Now, she said, more than 20 meet and collaborate to give their input for library programming.

Reimer said she heard about the board from a friend, who encouraged her to join.

Geisthardt, who participates in the library’s summer reading program, said she had filled out a survey about the program and checked a box to indicate that she would be interested in joining the board.

Now, she said, she loves it.

Last winter, she worked with Anderson to plan an event based on the TV show “Dr. Who.”

“We did trivia and themed snacks,” she said. “Cosplay and pictures.”

Anderson said the “Dr. Who” event was one of her favorite projects as well.

Right now, Reimer is working to plan a “Catching Fire” themed event, timed to correlate with the release of the second movie of the Hunger Games series.

One of her favorite teen-oriented events at the library, though, is Pizza and Pages.

“There’s a chosen book, and we get to talk about it and eat pizza,” she said.

The three also enjoy library lock-ins, which they help coordinate.

While serving on the library board isn’t as common as other after school activities, such as athletics or school clubs, Anderson said it’s a perfect fit for her, even though she spends a lot of time explaining to her friends what the board does.

About the Author

Randi Shaffer has been the Isabella County reporter for the Morning Sun since 2012. An alumna of CMU, she is in the process of obtaining her MSA degree. Obsessions include hockey, yoga and vegetables. Reach the author at rshaffer@michigannewspapers.com
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